Airship.



J. N. THOMPSON.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1911.

Patented July 2, 1912.v

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AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1911.

1,031,597. I Patented July 2,1912.

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APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1911.

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AIRSHIP.

APPLIIOATION FILED AUG. 30, 1911. 1 31,597 Patented July 2,1912.

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" 'JoEL n. THOMPSON, on NEW MADRID, MISSOURI.

AIRSHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1912.

I Application filed August 30, 1911. Serial No. 646,785. r

- To all whom it may concern: a

Beit known that'I, JOEL N. THOMPSON, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at New useful improvements inairships of the .Madrid, in the county of New Madrid and State ofMissouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Airships, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and bodies a large area ofsupporting surface,

which will automatically balance itself or maintain its equilibriumunder variations of air pressure thereon, and which is adapted to beconverted into a parachute to insure a slow and safe descent to theground in the event of the failure .of the motive power.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed,reference-being had to the accompanying drawings, in which':

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of anairship constructed inaccordance'with my invention, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame. vig. 3 is a top lan view of the airship. Fig. i is a verticallongitudinal section of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of thepropellers. Fig. 6 'is a detail section through one of the flotationsurfaces. Fig. 7 is a detail View of the'means for holding the wheelframe wings in launching or landing position.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the main frame, which supports acar or cabin Q designed to be occupied by the pilot and passengers, ifany,-saidcar or cabin having a front transparent wall or window 3, forthe convenience of the pilot in looking ahead and directing the courseof the ship. Hinged or pivoted to the sides of the car or cabin arewing) frames 4, carrying launching and landing wheels 5, each of saidwing frames being arranged to extend fore and aft and longitudinally andtransversely curved. Each wing frame consists of. a marginal framestructure proper, provided with a body or filling of fabric, or metal'or other suitable material, the'construction being suchas to adapt saidwing frames to serve as supporting or flotation planes, "when The winframes are adaptedto depend vertically to support the wheels 5 in properposition for the launching and landing operations, and are adapted;

to beheld in such position by cords or cables 6 and 7 connected withoppositely extending crank arms 8 on a vertical shaft 9 carrying ;a handwheel 10,whereby said shaft or let out the may be turned to take 11cables, for holding the wing frames in a vertical position or releasingthem for an upward swinging movement. On the shaft 9 is a toothedlocking wheel 11 adapted .to

be engaged by a suitable locking device 12, whereby the cables may beheld in a taut condition to hold the wing frames vertically disposed.VVhen the cables 6 land 7 are slackened, the wing frames are free toswing upwardly under air pressure to the dotted lineposition shown inFig; '1, when the ship is in flight, in which, owing to their form andcurvature, they are adapted'to serve as flotation planes orsupportingsurfaces, increasing the area ofthe supporting surface of the ship.

Projecting from the main frame'are head andt-ail frame structures 13 and14, and car- These bars or ribs'19 and 20, in addition to strengtheningthe frame structures in a rigid manner, operate also as fins to assistin preventing lateral deflection of the ship from its straight course oftravel,

The two flotation surfaces 16 and 17 are alike in generalconstruction-and contour, each being curved. both'horizontally andtransversely, or both parallel with .and at right angles to the line offlight, said surfaces being arched or substantially hoodshaped in frontelevation and in vertical section taken at right angles to theline offlight .at any point in. their-width or between their fore and aftedges.By this construction the two surfaces are adapted toeffectuallyconfinecolumns of air'between their lateral extremities forthe full dynamical reaction of the air thereon, as well as to impingeupon the air currents in such manner as to prevent the ship from havinglateral leeway or skidding, the curvatureof the marginal portions ofsaid surfaces also operating to deflect transverse currents of air toprevent them from exerting their full forces and tilting the ship ateither side toa suflicient degree to affect the lateral equilibrium ofthe ship to a dangerous extent. I

In practice, each supporting surface may be of rectangular, octagonal orother suitable shape in plan, but preferably has its lateral extremitiesconverging slightly between its fore and aft ed es so as to graduallyand increasingly. confine the column of air to a sufficient extent toget a full efiect of the supporting action resulting from the uplift ofthe air under compression. Each supporting surface is provided aroundits front and side edges with anobliquely disposed coaming board ordeflector 21, operating to divide the air at the point of entry,deflecting a portion of the air downwardly and a portion upwardly,giving an increased supporting action on the under side of the flotation.surface and an increased rarefaction of the'air above the upper side ofthe flotation surface, with an obvious increase of lifting power in thepropulsion ofv the ship at a determined rate of speed.

' Arranged at the sides of each flotat on plane are substantiallyvertical, depending stabilizing vanes or flaps 22, rigid against bendingor deflection, and extending fore and aftthe full width of the flotationsurface. These vanes or flaps are perpendicular at their forward edges,and thence converge inwardly andv rearwardly to conform to the converginlines of thelateral margins of the flotation surface, by-which saidvanes or flaps are caused to act as antiskidding devices, as well as airretainers to assist in confining thevolume or column of air actingupon'the flotation surface from escaping at the lateral margins of saidsurface, whereby further provision is made for securing the full.supporting pressure of the air upon'the flotation surfaces. It will thusbe seen'that the form and construction of the supporting surfaces andstabilizing vanes or flaps is such as to provide great lifting power,enabling the ship to .be made comparatively heavy. or to carry acomparatively heavy load without the necessity of attaining high speedin flight to overcome gravity.

Hinged or pivoted at its vertex, as at 23 to the head frame 13 is averticallymovable steering plane or rudder 24, curved bothlongitudinally and transversely and approximately of triangular form inplan. .By

means of this rudder or steering plane, the ship may be steeredvertically, or caused to ascend and. descend, andat the extreme of itsupward movement ass adapted to conform to and constitute a continuationof the upper flotation surface 15, to close the space at the front ofsaid surface whenit is desired to convert said surface into a parachutefor a safe descent as hereinafter described. Cords or cables 25 and 26are connected with the rudder 24' and pass upwardly and downwardly,respectively, over guide pulleys orsheaves 27 and'28 back to the car orcabin 2', and are-connected in practice with a suitable operating orcon-- trolling device (not shown) in said cabin or car, whereby saidrudder may be readily der or steering plane 29 is hinged orpivoted atits vertex to therear portion of the flotation surface 15, as at 3 0,for movement in a vertical plane, andhas connected therewithcords orcables 31 and 32 leading'upwardly and downwardly, respectively, over.guide pulleys .or sheaves 33 and 34, and thence to a suitableoperating'or controlling device (not shown) in the car or cabin,'wherebysaid plane 29 may be adjusted- Normally the plane 29 forms a part of theflotation surface 15, and operates as a stabilizing tail,

while the plane 24 is employed for steering purposes, but in the eventofderangement,

of the plane. 24 or of its controlling-devices the plane 29 may beemployed for steering I',

purposes in an obvious manner. If at any time when the ship is inflight't-he motive power should fail,or it should becomenecessary fromany cause to bring theship easily and safely to the ground, by adjustingthe plane 24 to the limit of its upward move-.

ment and tilting the plane '29 down to the dotted line position shown inFig. 4, the upper supporting surface15 will be converted into asubstantially inverted saucere shaped parachute, which will retain theair sufficient for a supporting action as the ship slowly descends, thusinsuring i-ts'easy descent, to the ground without damage. 1

Mounted upon the main frame between the twoflotation surfaces 15 and 16,on opposite sides, of the longitudinal center of the ship are propellers34- and 35 carried by longitudinally extending shafts 36 and37, eachprovided. with a pulley 38, connected by ropes, belts or chains 39 and40 with pulleys upon the shafts of'motors 41 and 42 ":m-

ranged within the cabin or car 2 on opposite sides of the longitudinalcenter of the ship. Each propeller comprises a suitable hub 43 a rim 44,and a series of blades 45 extending between and detachably connectedwith the hub and rim, the construction being such as to secure greatstrength, and rigidity, with a high degree of propulsive action. "Thebelts 39 and 40 are arranged in crossed relation, so that therighth'anddri ing propeller 34 will be driven from the lefhand motor 41, saidpropellers being. driven. inre verse directions and connected with-themotors in the manner described in order that the side thrust of eachwill be counteracted by the other, to maintain the stability of the shipmay be driven from either'one or both of themotors 41 and 42, or from athird motor, as desired. The ship may be turned or steered horizontallyto the right or left by means of the propellers 34 and 35, through areduction in the speed of either relative to that of the other, as willbe readily understood, or a vertical rudder of any suitable form andtype may be suitably arranged upon the ship for such purpose.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,the construction and mode of operation of my improved airship will bereadily understood and it will be seen that the invention provides anairship having great lifting power and possessing the advantageshereinbefore enumerated, and which provides for the conversion of theupper supporting surface into a parachute, to enable a safe landing tobe made whenever the motive fails or it is desired 'to make a straightdescent in a secure manner.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim asnew is:

1. An airship comprising a suitable frame structure, a supportingsurface carried there by, wings hinged or pivoted to swing downwardly toa vertical position and upwardly to a substantially horizontal position,launchingand landing gear-carried by said wings, and means for holdingthe wings in the first-named position.

2. An airship comprising a suitable frame structure, asupporting surfacecarried thereby, wings hinged .orpivoted to tilt vertically below theframe structure upwardly to ,a substantially horizontal position,launching and landing gear carried by said wings, a controlling device,and connections between said controlling device and the wings, wherebysaid Wings may be held in vertical position or released for upwardmovement- 3. An airship comprising a suitable frame structure, asupporting surface carried thereby, wings hinged or pivoted to the framestructure for movement to a substantially vertical position beneath theframe structure and to a substantially horizontal position, launchingand landing gear carried by said wings, a controlling device on theframe including a shaft provided with crank arms, and cables connectingsaid arms with the wings, whereby said wings may be held in a verticalposition or released for upward movement.

4. An airship including a frame, a supporting surface curved downwardlyand rearwardly in a fore and aft direction and arched in a lateraldirection, depending stabilizing vanes or flaps at the limital marginsof said. surface, a coaming rail around the front and side edges of saidsurface, longitudinal ribs upon the top of the surface, and steering,and stabilizing planes at the front and rear of the frame adjustableinto and out of the plane of said surface.

5. An airship including a frame, a supporting surface curved downwardlyand rearwardly in a fore and aft direction and arched transversely,depending stabilizing vanes or flaps 'at the lateral margins of saidsurface, longitudinal ribs or vane s, on the upper side of said surface,a coaming rail secured to the ribs and extending around the front-andsides of said surface, steering and stabilizing planes mounted to swingvertically at the front and rear of said surface and into and out of theplane thereof, and

izing planes. p

6. An airship including a frame, upper and lower flotation surfacescurved downwardly and rearwardly in a fore and aft dimotion and archedtransversely, depending stabilizing vanes or flaps at the lateralmargins of said surfaces, coaming rails around the front and. side edgesof said surfaces, steering ring and stabilizing planes pivotally mountedupon the frame to swing into and out of the plane of the upper flotationsurface and curved to conform to the curvature thereof, and means foradjusting said steering and stabilizing planes.

7. An airship including a frame, acar or cabin mounted thereon, upperand lower flotation surfaces curved downwardly and rearwardly in a foreand aft direction and arched transversely, depending stabilizing vanesor flaps at the lateral margins of said surfaces, propellers arrangedbetween the surfaces ,on oppositesides of the longitudinal center of theship, a upon the frame in rear of the car or cabin, steering andstabilizing planes at the front and rear of the frame curved to conformto the flotation surfaces and movable into and out of theplane thereofand means for adjusting said steering and stabilizing planes. Intestimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLAY DANNER.

ropeller mounted means for adjusting said steering and stabil-

